CANTERBURY BULLDOGS 20 BRISBANE BRONCOS 34
IAN HOWE, Accor Stadium, Thursday

TWO CLUBS that have had disastrous seasons clashed in the final game of the season in Sydney, with current Premiers the Broncos being led out by the departing Payne Haas, who will play regularly for South Sydney at the Accor Stadium next year, while the Bulldogs were appearing in front of their disappointed supporters after having finished in third place last year.

And it took only six minutes for Haas to get the Broncos on the scoreboard as he ran strongly to the line defeating several defenders.

And the Broncos took a ten-point lead when Josiah Karapani went in on the left after some smart passing.

The Bulldogs came back to level the scores at half-time thanks to a smart try by Lachlan Galvin and a beautifully worked try by Enari Tuala.

However, the Broncos scored four converted tries in the first 16 minutes of the second half to secure the points, with Billy Walters, Ben Hunt, Jordan Riki and Karapani showing the sort of form that must have had Broncos supporters scratching their heads and wondering why they hadn’t seen it earlier in the season.

The Bulldogs staged a late recovery, which began with Viliame Kikau running brilliantly through the Broncos’ defence, with Galvin scoring his second late on.

But it all came far too late and the Bulldogs will wonder what went wrong in a season that showed great promise early on but which has seen them fade to tenth place in the table, with the danger that they could finish twelfth, depending on results elsewhere.

BULLDOGS: 1 Connor Tracey, 2 Jacob Kiraz, 3 Matt Burton, 4 Bronson Xerri, 5 Enari Tuala, 6 Stephen Crichton, 7 Lachlan Galvin, 8 Max King, 9 Bailey Hayward, 10 Leo Thompson, 11 Viliame Kikau, 12 Jacob Preston, 13 Jaeman Salmon. Subs: 14 Jake Turpin, 15 Alekolasimi Jones, 16 Harry Hayes, 17 Josh Curran, 19 Jed Reardon (not used), 22 Sean O’Sullivan (not used)

Tries: Galvin (22, 74), Tuala (35), Kikau (67); Goals: Crichton 2/4

BRONCOS: 1 Hayze Perham, 2 Josiah Karapani, 3 Kotoni Staggs, 4 Deine Mariner, 5 Grant Anderson, 6 Ezra Mam, 7 Ben Hunt, 8 Xavier Wilson, 9 Billy Walters, 10 Payne Haas, 11 Jaiyden Hunt, 12 Jordan Riki, 13 Patrick Carrigan. Subs: 14 Thomas Duffy, 15 Va’a Semu, 17 Aublix Tawha, 18 Gehamat Shibasaki (not used), 19 Ban Tałty (not used), Cameron Bukowski (not used)

Tries: Haas (6), Karapani (17, 56), Walters (45), Hunt (48), Riki (51); Goals: Perham 5/6

SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 0-10, 6-810, 10-10; 10-16, 10-22, 10-28, 10-34, 16-34, 20-34

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Bulldogs: Enari Tuala; Broncos: Patrick Carrigan

Penalty count: 4-2; Half-time: 10-10; Referee: Grant Atkins; Attendance: 13,802